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Contradiction in tones
By Cory Casciato
casciato@mscd.edu

Photo by Chris Strong • Courtesy of Pitch Perfect PR Califone’s kitten sees ghosts. From left: Joe Adamik, Ben Massarella, Jim Becker and Tim Rutili.

Contradiction suffuses Califone.

They embrace it, feeding off of the tension created by the melding of seemingly incompatible elements. They interlace delicately plucked melodies with abrasive noise, veer from a minimal pulse to a dense, chaotic racket, and knit together the traditional with the avant-garde, frequently in the space of a single song. Over the course of six albums they have staked out a startlingly unique and compelling sound, yet remained almost unknown.

Califone’s exotic sonic brew starts by mixing mutant blues, traditional folk and electronic experimentation in equal measure, then spiking the mix with splashes of spaghetti-western soundtracks, a touch of country, an occasional drizzle of funk or jazz, a drop of space rock and whatever else might be handy. They name dozens of bands as influences, including such diverse artists as Bob Dylan, Can, Miles Davis, the Carpenters, Black Flag and Captain Beefheart. They manage to synthesize these disparate elements into an appealing and cohesive whole that is completely their own.

Singer and founding member Tim Rutili displays a rare gift for words, an intuitive grasp of the power of language. His earlier band was called Red Red Meat, a name that’s been called “simultaneously the best and worst band name ever.” His song titles are better than most artists’ best lyrics. Is it possible to hear song titles such as “Porno Starlet Vs. Rodeo Clown,” “Horoscopic.Amputation.Honey,” or “Our Kitten Sees Ghosts” without being a little curious about the song?

His lyrics are impressionistic and impenetrable twists of phrase. He juxtaposes bizarre imagery with abstract formulations of individual words seemingly chosen simply for the way they sound. Somehow, these inexplicable expressions manage to communicate not only emotion but a sense of genuine meaning hovering just beyond understanding.

In written form, it’s hard to understand how lines such as “Texas looks like Galilee / cripple trees mean little seed,” from “Mean Little Seed,” or “Anarene stoplight’s out / two sisters drunk a dollar bet,” from “2 Sisters Drunk on Each Other,” could mean anything, but Rutili delivers them with such conviction it’s impossible to doubt him. His scratched and weather-beaten voice emphasizes a word here, a phrase there; his deliberate vocal cadence hangs on certain syllables while burying others.

Rutili contributes guitar, electric piano and more. Joe Adamik, Jim Becker and Ben Massarella round out the band, playing any of a few dozen instruments each, depending on what’s needed at the time. Producer Brian Deck also makes significant contributions in the studio, manipulating and processing their recordings to get just the perfect sound.

The end results are nothing short of fantastic.

Live, they are just as impressive. At a recent Denver appearance in support of their just-released album Roots and Crowns, Adamik, Becker and Rutili played a mixture of older material and new songs for a room full of fans. Highlights included an incendiary version of “Horoscopic.Amputation.Honey” that was pure, wailing insanity improvised over a fierce tattoo of tribal drumming; a beautiful, contemplative “Michigan Girls” that floated along on brush-stroked drums, plucked violin and guitar; and “The Orchids,” a beautiful cover of a Psychic TV song.

Rutili credits “The Orchids” as the song that inspired him to resume working after a long period of absence from Califone. An excellent version of the song serves as the centerpiece of Roots and Crowns. It is the most accessible song on the band’s most accessible and best-developed album yet. It’s a stark contrast to their last release, the critically lauded, dark and moody concept album Heron King Blues. Heron was the band’s previous high-water mark, and Roots raises the bar still further. With the exception of the listless closing track and a brief throwaway instrumental, the album is consistently strong, offering fans more of what they have come to know and love while evolving the band’s core sound and songwriting to an impressive degree. If the album gets the attention it deserves, Califone will finally resolve the contradiction of producing some of the most exciting music of the last decade with almost no one listening.